This is our basic conclusion: Our nation is moving toward two societies, one
black, one white separate but unequal.

This is the concluding remark of the Kerner Commission, set up to look into
civil disorders in the US in 1967. The Commission's report states: "What
white Americans have never fully understood but what the Negro can never
forget, is that White society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. White
institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society
condones it." The report stresses: "The major goal is the creation of a true
union a single society and a single American identity."

The Kerner Commission, which came out with a host of
socio-economic-educational measures, made a profound impact on white
society, resulting in a host of affirmative action packages for the blacks,
now called African-Americans. The African-Americans, Hispanics and
native-Americans, together called the "minorities", constitute about 18 per
cent of the total US population. It all began in 1969. The then US
President, Johnson signed an executive order on March 5, 1969, leading to
the creation of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The MBDA
was conceived as a nodal body, consisting of senior officials of the federal
government, prominent minority businessmen, captains of private industry and
representatives of financial institutions, to assist in the growth of
minority business.

The basic philosophy behind the creation of the MBDA was to ensure that
non-white racial/ethnic communities in the US got their due share of
America's assets. The US government coined the slogan, "Democratising
capital," when it observed: "Economic growth cannot be sustained without the
inclusion of minority business and the infusion of capital into minority
business." Today, non-white enterprise has evolved into a major player in
the US economy. Diversityinc.com said last week, "For the first time, an
African-American, Robert L. Johnson, has been certified to be a
multibillionaire".

The list was compiled by New York based Security Pro, a research firm which
tracks the growth of African-Americans in business. Now, Robert Johnson tops
the list of the 100 richest African-Americans. Johnson's assets are worth
over US$ 3 billion. The list for the year 2000, includes 15 more
African-Americans, who broke into the US$ 100 million club in the year 2000.
"The list does not include athletes or entertainers, unless they have come
upon their fortunes while operating their own businesses," asserts the
research firm.

Are these 100 richest African-Americans exceptions, which White society is
parading before the global community? A survey conducted by the US Census
Bureau in 1992 has an answer. According to the survey, of the total
registered companies in the US (1.72 crores), minorities owned 21.49 lakhs,
or 12.5 per cent of the total. Further, the economic return to
minority-owned companies amounted to US$ 2.09 lakh millions, or 6.3 per cent
of the total. Thus, what we clearly see is that of the total business
transactions in the US, 6.3 per cent belongs to racial/ethnic minorities.

In India, it is difficult to think of one Dalit whose firm is traded
publicly, or whose annual turnover reaches Rs the one crore mark. We can
hardly name one Dalit (from a total Dalit population of about 21 crores),
whose assets reach the Rs one billion mark? Obviously, the Dalits have been
left out of the "money" market, out of business and trade, out of the stock
exchanges. Dalits don't own land, they don't own urban assets. Barring
government jobs and representation in legislative bodies, they don't exist
in the nation's economic, intellectual and cultural lives. This prolonged
exclusion of the Dalits, prevents them from "owning" India as "nation". This
reinforces the belief that Dalits are not a part of India's nationhood. Will
this not perpetuate, or rather intensify, social crises in India?

We know, that like American society, India too, has a legacy of
split-societies one of touchables and the other of untouchables and tribals.
The evolution of India into a Republic provided us a historic opportunity to
draw a point of convergence, the same way the Kerner Commission did in the
US. The delayed and reluctant response of white society in America is one of
the finest examples we have before us. The Dalits' case, if comparable to
any society, to any form of exclusion and oppression, is comparable with
that of the blacks of America.

We will, in forthcoming columns, examine, how the dominant whites in America
are approaching racial/ethnic questions? We will see how the private sector
is responding to the federal government's keenness to share assets and
institutions with racial/ethnic minorities in America? Maybe, we could learn
something from them and perhaps India, as a nation, decides to evolve into a
nation for all, the two societies evolving into one into a single social
identity.

Source:
Referred by:Dr. K.P. Singh
Published on: February 7, 2001
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